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9/3/2013 9:38AM

Ex-Air Force Colonel Warns of Limited Syria Strike

Retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton outlines the risks posed by conducting a limited military strike against Syria and how delaying military action might affect U.S. troops stationed in the region. Photo: AP.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the ... the consequences of ... Congress United States overriding a decision of the ... United States of this magnitude ... a really very very serious ... and already we're sending a bad signal to our land to ... North Korea to ... share a shot ... as the sun is that John McCain on Face the Nation ... halt last we present a bomb was also talking he put on ... hold an imminent strike on Syria what does this mean the U S diplomacy in the Mideast ... and the millet re read yes let's ask an ex bought us a half or so come over Tyco also AAA joins us now from Washington ... aam they can come to light and thank you very much for joining us ... my pleasure good morning ... good Monday morning ... new new opinion poll detained in millet re action before you are not involved in taking out a lot to Iraq's air defense is what to say weights like this ... do to to to our readiness ... good to have several impact say you know it did there's always a peak that you achieve when you're getting ready to do something is very analogous to what a sports team goes to is the getting ready for a championship ... as to what you have is a bunch of that in this case ... Navy vessels that are waiting to do it to conduct a mission in the eastern Mediterranean ... that mission of course is everybody suspects is probably going to be one that involves ... a precision targeting exercise that a really attacks ... this year in command and control apparatus ... by that is something that you know people think happens very easily very quickly ... the problem with that is there's a lot of preparation that goes into that ... and the longer their troops have to wait longer than our sailors and Marines have to wait ... that becomes a tissue because what you end up having ... is a situation where ... their peak already miss me decrease over time over the period that they're waiting that could be a significant impact on their ability to accurately prosecute targets and to also minimize collateral damage to the worst civilian casualties ... and and and in some senses that the baby of the fatty acid which they may move things around town ... by the time ... of the time the action takes place why the targets may literally have moved ... absolutely and that's another factor see what you have is not only do you have the natural fatigue that sits in for a crew like this but when you also have is a situation where the enemy also is thinking the enemy is also reacting and you know that they're going to be moving ... some of their main targets is much is as many as they can ... here is that are going to be a lot safer for them and a lot harder ... with us to reach an strike ... I'm a tunnel like what Obama diplomatic the facts out of this up ... putting this on hold rather than just aam you know ... doing and getting nowhere ... right there is going to be a lot of the diplomatic difficulties first of all ... buy on the Alliance side you wheeled Dolly we have an alliance is for Syria between the United States Saudi Arabia cut her and Turkey now each one of these parties ... backs ... somewhat different ... players in the Syrian ... I in opposition ... I and other all pose to the outside regime but there are different areas that they're looking at different periods of leverage that they want to obtain ... so in this particular situation you have a ... big case we are the Saudis for example I will want one side of that that are easy totally different more aligned with the al Qaeda elements side ... and the Turks are more interested in a Muslim Brotherhood type solution to ... the Syrian problem and given all of that each of these countries once the US to react and generally speaking in spite of some public pronouncements they want the United States to act quickly so that they can then go in ... and exercise a degree of influence that they would like to exercise over the final outcome in the Syrian cases ... on the side of the rivals ... you have a situation where the United States is focusing on ... I would not only what the Syrians in the form of the US the government are doing but you also have a situation where ... the rain Aeon's the key suppliers of the outside regime are also a major player in this and they are biding their time looking to see what the US reaction is going to be ... in what the U S actions will be once an attack is launched ... during this period they too can help the Syrians move a lot of their targets ... by those mobile targets some of their Scud missile launchers things like that to safer locations they may also take some of their systems some of those serene weapons systems and move into a wrought by the Iraqis did things like that before in the run-up to Iraqi freedom ... in the two thousandthree and you can expect that the rain Aeon's will help the Syrians do something similar ... and then we have the Russians they of course I will will look to respond as much as they can to any ... US action and this gives them some time to do that ... so little lined mine with whatever the big move to why we contend that the phrase limited strikes how effective can that really is is I'm basically just like you know ... recently dropping some bombs without you now without worrying on when I got a full with again a full actually meant ... any meaningful targets ... well the every effort is going to be made on the port of the U S Navy and to in the other in the U S military effort that is ... engaged in striking Syria to have a precisely ... I've guided ammunition as set of targets in ... the types of weapons that we use today are not the same type that we ... even used in Vietnam Will worthy of a new friend Desert storm ... I they're much more precise they are much more able to hit targets the problem is you may be as precise as you possibly can be ... the head of fixed installation ... to the key question now is is that insulation suggested that if this isn't just a building where does it still contained the nerve center that you're seeking to destroy it going after command and control not for example I was this particular case that could all move ... back pedaled back home but we have to leave it that thank you so much Connell separate light Mavericks not